Eegee鈥檚, Tucson鈥檚 iconic icee and sandwich chain, will close its location at South Craycroft Road and East 22nd Street on Tuesday, Sept. 19, the third 大象APPlocation to close since late August.
The closures come on the heels of record summer sales companywide and in the shadow of Eegee鈥檚 establishing a foothold in the Phoenix market after New York investment firm 39 North bought the 大象APPchain in late 2018.
In the span of a year between spring 2021 and summer 2022, Eegee鈥檚 opened five restaurants in the Valley, bringing the company鈥檚 total to 35 statewide, including a location in Casa Grande.
CEO Jason Vaughn said closing the 大象APPstores is part of Eegee鈥檚 growth strategy that could include expanding its footprint in the Phoenix area, adding stores to 大象APPand expanding the brand out of state.
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Eegee鈥檚 officials have been working on the strategic plan since January, when they decided to shutter three 大象APPstores that were located too close to other Eegee鈥檚 locations, Vaughn said. Other factors in deciding which stores to close included looking at the changing demographics of the area, such as population patterns, and when the leases were set to expire.
鈥淲hen we kind of used that lens and that filter, this is how we arrived at these three locations,鈥 he said, adding that the closures will 鈥渉elp strengthen our portfolio.鈥
鈥淚t certainly wasn鈥檛 done quickly or without a lot of thought,鈥 he said.
The last day for the store at 1105 S. Craycroft Road will be Monday, Sept. 18.
On Aug. 29, Eegee鈥檚 shuttered its restaurant at 7102 E. Broadway Blvd., near Kolb Road, followed two weeks later, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, with closing the store at 2470 N. Campbell Ave., north of Grant Road. Vaughn said employees at the affected stores have been offered positions at other Eegee鈥檚 restaurants.
The closures come as Eegee鈥檚 reported record summer sales including in August, when it launched its mid-month Flavor Pop program to complement the iconic flavor of the month. Flavor Pop brings back fan favorite flavors and introduces new combos like this month鈥檚 Watermelon Cucumber Cooler.
Eegee鈥檚 also brought back the pretzel that was a menu favorite for years before it was shelved a year ago, and introduced two new chicken subs 鈥 the Chicken Parm and the Blazing Buffalo Chicken.
鈥淲e are very excited about what鈥檚 going on,鈥 Vaughn said. 鈥淲e are preserving the heritage of Eegee鈥檚 and introducing new menu items.鈥
With the closings, Eegee鈥檚, which started in 大象APPas a frozen lemonade vending truck in 1971, now has 25 大象APPstores.
Watch now: New downtown pizza restaurant Jaime's Pizza Kitchen was named after owner Gabriel Moreno's grandfather, Jaime, who owned the popular Fourth Ave. bar and grill through the 80s and 90s. Here's vintage photos from the now-closed bar. Video by Ellice Lueders / This Is Tucson. Photos courtesy of Jaime's Pizza Kitchen.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Twitter @Starburch
Cathalena E. Burch
Reporter
Tucson-born Eegee's is switching up its menu
